Alleged Shoplifter Dies After Being Tackled By Walmart Employees Over Holiday Weekend

Every year shoppers get amped up to shop the Black Friday sales, and it seems that every year, that energy unfortunately leads to a few tragic situations. Early on Sunday morning, a man who cops say was trying to shoplift two DVD players from a Walmart in Georgia died after he was apprehended by two employees and a contract security officer.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says the man may have died as a result of a choke hold the security officer allegedly placed him in. He’s no longer working for Walmart.

Police say the suspect tried to exit through the front door around 1:30 a.m. with the two DVD players, but was then caught by the trio and a “physical altercation” occurred. By the time cops arrived, the three people were on top of the alleged suspect, but since he wasn’t showing any resistance, police ordered the trio to get off of him.

The man was reportedly unresponsive at that time and bleeding from his nose and mouth. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

“No amount of merchandise is worth someone’s life,” a Walmart spokesperson said Sunday. “Associates are trained to disengage from situations that would put themselves or others at risk.”

“This is truly a sad situation,” she added. “We don’t know all of the facts right now. We’re in the process of working with law enforcement to deterimine all of the facts and cooperating and providing any information we have to assist in the investigation.”